Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-06-26

q. KnIn. Dx. RosAermAi. MF. F0sszE.
Mm- n. 3. Thagse. Mr& BaaA, Ms.
Copassmd. Hrs. WIS. Dr.. yames v.
Mansaala. n. w. RIina. Or. EAsanoT
Martin ard Mira Ezsza A. Marain- A
esnaRmi fnvikaasou wa extam&sd - ma
dinms 10 eoms 10 PAiladeiphis ana ~
psaR before the ssmmiua6ens asnsruas
eowpsnmti0n being oasrs4 fsE tHsar
tims and tssuhsa. Every s9srs was
ma4s 10 secure . fnli and ecmpss&s pre-
SENSATION Of - elmins IT EpiEi8ualism.
Ths rspoFa Esndarsd afssF shis thog-
oaRh insesaiention b Q swsspizG dsnzn-
siation Of Episifuaiiazn. None Of the
msdiams VINO appsessd. u sagA Gas
able 10 Do anything Of rsnaEkabls
natuFs CO 10 Do asyshine wiahSaa De-
espsion, and nons Of thsm US able b
perform anything which VS. noa afkss-
wards performed IN bektsT shape b
Kslisx. the magician. Who Appeared b
fces ne eommisHion. Ths maGisiaa
lsnghea al the prsAsnaaons Of the me-
dizms asA ahowed 10 the satisfsesisn
Of TIE eommlasisn thas the Spirits had
nothinR 10 Do vita any Of thsis tricks.
Tbs report dsAIs a. length with spirit
sappine, slate writing and al ether phs-
nomsna OF BpiFitnalism. Several me
dinms having failed IN the slate writing
tFiak, The eommizsion sent for DE-. Hen
" Siads, who Grst became famous
shrsagh his snses@ IN this triek. OF
Glads and slate writing RsnsrAlly, the
report says:
In cur investigation With this medium,
ws early discovered the character Of tbs
writing 10 be two-fold, ana The differ
enes bs4ween the i've styles striking. In
one ease the concentration written on
the slate b. the Spirits vas general in
leo tone, leRibie In ID chiroRraphy, and
usually covered much Of the surface Of
the slate, punetnation hsinR attended 10,
the f's dotted and The t's crossed. In
the seoond, when the communication
vas In answer 10 question addressed
10 spirit. the writing vas clumsy, Tude,
scarcely legible, abrup4 In terms. and
sometimes vague In Substances. In short,
one bore the marks deliberati0n and
the stheF Of haste. This differences was
found 10 be due 10 different conditions
under which the communications were
written. The long messages were pre-
pared by the medi1m before the seance.
The short ones, answers 70 questions
asked daring the ssanoe, are written
under the table With what skill practice
can confer. With this knowledge IL is
clear that the investigator has 70 deal
With simple question Of IsQerdemain.
The Slate, with its message already
written, must In some way be sahsti-
tuted for one which the sitter knows 10
be clean. The short answers must
b written un0er very tFyia0 cir
CONSUMES, out Of sight undsT the table,
With all motion Of the hand OF arm CON-
cealed. ID 10 useless 10 attempts to
limit the methods whereby these two
objects may be attaiued. Although the
number OF mediums whose manifesto
lions We have been able TO examine has
bean restricted, We feel ourselves josti-
TED In giving a. result Of our exsmi-
nation Of independents slate- writing
that, whether The agency be spiritual or
material. its mode OF manifestation al
most wholly pFeoludes any satisfactory
Investigation. There are noe wanting
eminent expoundeEs Of the Epiritualis
tic faith who assert that this 10 o. IL
should be, and that II In the attempts 10
apply the laws Of the material world 10
spiritual manifestations we are baffled,
the fault lies in us, and not in the ms
diums. IL this be %, We must accept
our fate and enlarge she adage that
poets are born. mot made, and include
bpiRitualists. Yea, a. q rule, mediums
assert that they invite investigation.
Our experience has bsen that as soon a.
an investigation, worthy Of the name,
begins. all manifestations Of SpiFitualisa
power cease.
After dealing with other forms of al
legged spirit manifestations. the report
closes by saying:
We regret that thus far We have mos
been eheefed in our Investigations by
the discovery Of single novel fact; bot,
nndeteFFed by this discouraQement, We
trust With your permission 10 continue
them with what thorouehness oar
future opportunities may allow, and
with minds Is sincerely and honestly
open a. heretofore 10 cOaviction.
Al nrst thought one would Suppose
that this apparently conclusive report
wsuld convince many people, bat u will
not. Tenaciiy of belief is one of the
most marked ohsrasseristiOs Of hu-
manity, and IL Is probable that NOT
more than q dozen adhsrents Of Spirit
ualism viii be shaken in their belief by
the facts Get forth by the SeybeFt COM
mission. SpiFituAlisss will read the re
port and be spiFlsaalisss stiIl, and dis
believers will read IL and disbeiieve
more than ever.